Closure with fracturable auxiliary container

ABSTRACT

This disclosure relates to a closure for hermetically sealing bottles, flasks and the like having a peripheral skirt and an end panel, and an auxiliary container internally of the peripheral skirt in generally suspended relationship from the end panel, a product and a cutter housed within the auxiliary container whereby upon the depression of the cutter a bottom closed wall of the auxiliary container is ruptured and the product therewithin is dispensed into a main container carrying the closure, and the auxiliary container being further so constructed as to provide hermetic sealing of both the main or auxiliary containers for separate storage of a product in each, further providing a hermetic seal during the admixture of the products, and finally maintaining a hermetic seal during repeated reclosures.

States Patent Lanfranconi et a1. Oct. 8, 1974 1 CLOSURE WITH FRACTURABLE 3,603,469 9/1971 Magni 206 47 A AUXILIARY CONTAINER 3,650,428 3/1972 3,675,805 7/1972 [75] Inventors: Ant n an M 0; 3,747,793 7 1973 Wassilieff .1 215/46 A ggfigz g gg fg ggi ggg FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS GOdeSbel-g; Franco i m Mil 699,868 12/1965 lta1y.. 207/47 A an of Italy 244,119 3/1963 Australia 215/6 [73] Assignee: Doll Gesellschaft Mit Beschrankter P i E i l-l b t F, Ross g, Bonn, Germany Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Diller, Brown, Ramik & 22 Filed: Feb. 2, 1973 wlght [21] Appl. No.: 329,021 57 ABSTRACT This disclosure relates to a closure for hermetically [30] Foreign Application Pri rity Data sealing bottles, flasks and the like having a peripheral Apr. 18 1973 ,ltaly 20196 73 Skirt and an end Panel and an auxiliary container ternally of the peripheral skirt in generally suspended 52 U.S. c1 215/6, 215/46 A 215/1310. 8 relationship from the end Phheh a Product and a 206/47 A 222/835 ter housed within the auxiliary container whereby [51] Int. Cl 1365d l/04 upon the depression of the Cutter 3 bottom closed wall 58 Field 61" Search 215/6, 46 220/23 of the auxiliary Container is ruptured and the Product 206/47 222/80 8] 83 therewithin is dispensed into a main container carry- 5 ing the closure, and the auxiliary container being further so constructed as to provide hermetic sealing of [56] References Cited both the main or auxiliary containers for separate storage of a product in each, further providing a hermetic UNITED STATES PATENTS seal during the admixture of the products, and finally g maintaining a hermetic seal during repeated reclo- 21C t 3,073,472 1/1963 Williams 215/31 x sures 3,517,847 6 1970 0061a 215/46 A 4 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures IL I 1 T 111 g 6 I'h' 2 1 1i 28 5 I l "l K 1 x 54 Q 1 '1 5 i l 11 |//\\/H| 22 5 11 i I i 1 11% i1 '1] 611 11 24 1 i l CLOSURE WITH FRACTUlRABLE AUXILIARY CONTAINER The present invention is primarily directed to closures for hermetically sealing bottles, flasks and the like, and is essentially directed to the packaging of products which must be maintained separated from each other until substantially just prior to the use of the admixture upon the combination of the products. As an example, one product could be a solvent or a dispersing liquid where at least another product might be a solid substance in granular or pulverulent condition. Of course, both products could be solid or both products could be liquid but in all cases the major desire is to maintain the same separate from each other until just prior to use.

It is conventional to provide a dual container structure with the inner container being foreshortened and with both containers closed by individual caps or closures. A single closure may as well be employed. In the case of a single closure the closure is removed, the inner and smaller auxiliary container is removed and thereby the larger principal or outer container is completely open. The product of the inner container may then be poured into and admixed with the product of the outer container. Container and closure combinations of this type are largely employed in the packaging of drugs and other products in general, such as lyophilized and vitaminic products, etc. By maintaining the active fraction of the two products separate from the excipient fraction longer storage life is achieved and such phenomena as coagulation, precipitation, and oth ers is precluded. l

The difficulty with known dual containers and similar structures is not so much maintaining hermetic seals after packaging but the difficulty arises once the main container has been opened by the removal of the closure.

With the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel closure which is in effect an auxiliary container and in conjunction with the novel construction of three body portions thereof can insure the hermetic sealing of the main or outer container and the auxiliary or inner container when the components are separate, retains the hermetic sealing of the main container during the admixture of the components or products, and finally provides repeated hermetic sealing of the main container during repetitive reclosures.

Essentially, in accordance with the present invention the closure includes a peripheral skirt and anend panel, the latter of which in part defines the auxiliary container which is constructed from frangible, rupturable, severable or like material, and a cutter within the auxiliary container whereby upon depressing the cutter of the closure the cutter severs a terminal end wall of the auxiliary container and permits the admixture of the product within the auxiliary container with the product within the main container.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel closure of the type aforesaid wherein the auxiliary container includes a body in hermetic sealing engagement with the interior finish of the main container, and further includes a readial seal in hermetic sealing engagement with the main-container lip.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel closure of the type heretofore set forth wherein the auxiliary container further includes a peripheral flange having a tubular extension thereabove, the flange serving as a stop whereby over application of the closure upon the main container will not render the cutter op-' erative.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel closure wherein an upper tubular extension of the auxiliary container is dimensioned to provide a hermetic seal against the inner finish of the outer container upon the admixture of the products and the removal of a portion of the auxiliary container. r

In keeping with a further object of this invention the novel closure as heretofore defined further includes internal threads cooperative with threads upon the outer container finish, and the outer container finish and an extension of the closure peripheral skirt include means for rupturing the extension relative to the peripheral skirt to indicate that the closure and container were subjected to tampering.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claimed subject matter, and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view partly in cross-section illustrating a closure applied to a finish of the container with the auxiliary or inner container housing therewithin a cutter.

FIG.'2 is an exploded view of the components of FIG. I, and visually illustrates the manner in which the same are assembled to the position of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a partial fragmentary and cross-sectional view of a portion of the entire inner or auxiliary container, and illustrates a peripheral sealing flange thereof. a

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the components of FIG. 1 after the cutter has been depressed resulting in the severance of a bottom wall of the inner container by the cutter resulting in the admixture of separately packaged products in the two containers.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1 and illustrates the manner in which a tubular extension of the auxiliary container forms a hermetic seal with the interior finish of the outer container neck.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but illustrates the components prior to being assembled FIG. 7 is another view of a closure and outer container partly in side elevation and partly in crosssection, and illustrates in addition to the components of FIG. 1 a collar forming an extension of the closure skirt joined thereto by frangible ribs which fracture upon removal of the closure thereby providing the combination with a tamper-proof feature.

FIG. 8 illustrates the manner in which the collar of the closure peripheral skirt remains upon the outer container upon the removal of the closure- FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 7, but illustrates the manner in which the extension of the closure forms a hermetic seal with an inner surface of the outer container neck.

FIG. 10 is cross sectional view taken generally along the line X-X of FIGS. 8 and 9, and illustrates the manner in which the collar is connected to the closure peripheral skirt by ribs and the manner in whichthe ribs are fractured by projections and teeth of the collar and the outer container exterior finish, respectively.

A bottle or flask includes a neck or finish 12 having exterior threads 14, a lip 16 and an inner surface or finish 36. The interior surface 36 is cylindrical and has an inside diameter generally designated by the reference character D (FIG. 6). The container 10 is constructed from glass, plastic or similar material and in the latter case it may be injection, blow or similarly molded.

A closure 50 in part defines with a flanged cupshaped body 26, an inner or auxiliary container (un numbered) which houses a cutting element or cutter 20 in the manner best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4.

The cup-shaped body 26 includes a circular bottom which may be weakened along its juncture with a sidewall 22 and is provided with an enlarged portion 22a adjacent a peripheral flange 28 having at its undersurface a pair of annular sealing ribs 30. The interior of the cup-shaped body 26 includes an annular bead 34 and a slightly recessed wall 32. The exterior dimension of the portion 22a is such that it fits tightly within and forms a hermetic seal against the inner surface 36 of the outer container 10 in the manner best illustrated in FIG. 4. The portion 22 is reduced as compared to the portion 22a in diameter in order that the cup-shaped body 26 may be readily inserted within the mouth of the bottle 10 as defined by the inner diameter of the surface 36. This construction automatically absorbs any errors in internal diameter of the finish 36 as might occur when tolerances are not what they should be. The pair of ribs 30 additionally form a hermetic seal against the lip 16 of the container 10 when the cupshaped body 26 is inserted sufficiently within the bottle neck 12 to depress the ribs 30 into intimate hermetic sealing engagement with the lip 16. The cup-shaped body may be modified somewhat, and one example thereof is shown in FIG. 3 which illustrates another cup-shaped body 26' whose like structure has been designated with reference numerals corresponding to those of FIGS. 1 and 2 except the same have been primed. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 the portion 22a is of a diameter slightly less than the inside diameter of the finish 36 and accordingly to maintain a seal the latter is provided with an annular sealing rib 38 which functions to provide a hermetic seal against the finish 36. Furthermore, in accordance with the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3 the cupshaped body 26 is devoid of ribs corresponding to the ribs 30 of the cup-shaped body 26.

The cutter 20 is a generally cup-shaped member having a body 40 whose open end portion 40a is reduced in size and whose opposite end terminates in a bottom 42 having an outwardly directed peripheral rib 44. The cutter 20 includes a cutting edge 46 which spans more than 180 of the portion 40a and at its midpoint terminates in a puncturing point 48. The reduced end portion 400 provides ease of insertion of the cutter 20 into the cup-shaped body 26 while the point 48 serves to initiate a cutting action as is most evident from FIG. 4.

The inner auxiliary container (unnumbered) is defined in part by a tubular extension 58 depending from an end panel 52 of the closure 50 which in turn includes a peripheral skirt 54 having internal threads 56. The tubular extension 58 has an inside diameter designated by the reference character d in FIG. 2 which is slightly larger than the maximum dimension of the cutter 20 defined by the annular rib 44 thereof to permit the insertion of the upper portion of the cutter 20 within the tubular extension 58, as is best shown in FIG. 1. The tubular extension 58 further includes a conical portion 58a terminating in an end face 60 which is cemented .or otherwise adhered to an end face 62 of the cup-shaped body 26, in the manner illustrated best in FIG. 1. The portion 58a is tapered to permit ease of insertion of the extension 58 into the mouth of the container 10 so that the exterior surfaceof the extension 58 forms a hermetic seal against the surface 36 as will be described more fully hereinafter with respect to FIG. 5 of the drawings.

Reference is made to FIG. 1 which illustrates an axial dimension S which is the distance between the interface of the surfaces 60, 62 and the uppermost surface of the flange 48. The distance h also shown in FIG. 1 represents the distance between the interface of the surfaces 60, 62 and the innermost end surface (unnumbered) of the end panel 52. As is apparent from FIG. 1 the latter-described dimensioning produces a slight gap (unnumbered) between the rib 44 of the cutter and the end panel 52 and the cutter will therefore not accidentally sever the bottom 24 of the cup-shaped body 26.

The components are assembled in any one of a variety of fashions as, for example, depositing a product within the outer container 10, inserting thereinto the cup-shaped body 26, packaginga product in the latter, inserting the cutter 20 therein, and finally screwing the closure upon the container neck with or without adhesive on the surfaces 60, 62. If an adhesive is not used the surfaces provide a hermetic seal against each other whereas if an adhesive or sealing compound is employed the bond is sufficiently weak to rupture as the closure 50 is unthreaded without drawing the cupshaped body 26 outwardly of the neck 12 due to the high frictional purchase of the portion 22a thereagainst.

When it is desired to gain access and an admixture of the two products the closure 50 is rotated and removed with a parting occurring between the surfaces 60, 62'. After the closure 50 has been removed the cutter- 20 is fully exposed and manual pressure may be applied against the bottom 42 and/or the flange 44 in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 4 resulting in the cutting of the bottom 24 without, it will be noted, complete severance. Upon the bottom 24 opening the product within the cup-shaped portion 26 falls or flows by gravity into the main container 10 and may therein be admixed. It will be noted that during the admixture there still remains a hermetic seal between the cup-shaped body 26 and the surfaces 36, 16 of the bottle neck 12. After admixture the cup-shaped body 26 is removed, discarded, and the products may be then poured from the bottle 10. Thereafter the bottle or main container .10 may be resealed by the closure 50 in the manner shown in FIG. 5 simply by once again threading it upon the neck 12 resulting in the progressive introduction of the extension 58 into the container mouth and the forming of a hermetic seal between the surface 36 and the outer surface (unnumbered) of the tubular extension 58.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 7-10 which illustrate the closure 50 provided with a tamper indicating mechanism which includes a collar 64 secured to the one another by arcuate openings 70. The inner portion of the collar 64 carries a plurality of projections 68 which are elastically deformable so that rotation in the direction indicated by the arrow B in FIG. is possible without impairing the integrity of the construction. However, the ribs 72 will fracture when rotation is imparted to the closure 50 in the direction opposite (direction of closure removal) that indicated by the reference character B and thus the collar 64 is separated from the peripheral skirt 54 indicating that tampering may have occurred. The collar 64 may remain in place or it may be removed and destroyed.

The collar 64 does not impair the subsequent resealing of the outer container 10 by the tubular extension 58 so long as the collar 64 is properly dimensioned i.e., the distance A (FIG. 7) is greater than the axial loss in distance between the first sealed condition (FIG. 7) and the reclosed position (FIG. 9) of the closure 50. The difference in axial dimension is essentially the axial width of the flange 28. The finish of the bottle is, of course, similarly constructed so that the uppermost surface 76 of th teeth 66 is spaced at least a like distance A from the lower terminal edge 74 of the peripheral skirt 54.

It is to be particularly noted that in both embodiments of the invention the cutter is spaced from the end panel 52 due to the dimensioning S and h heretofore described. The latter constitutes an important aspect of the invention as well as the manner in which the same is achieved, namely, by the axial length of the tubular extension 58 and the abutment of its end face 60 against the face 62 of the cup-shaped portion 26. As the closure is rotated the face 60 approaches the face 62 and contacts the latter resulting in the prevention of further rotation of the closure and the maintenance of the gap between the cutter 20 and the end panel 52 of the closure 50.

While preferred form and arrangements of parts have been shown in illustrating the invention, it is to be clearly understood that various changes in detail and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

We claim:

1. A closure for bottles, flasks and the like designed for the extended storage of separate products comprising a generally cup-shaped container, said container having an abutment surface axially spaced from a bottom wall, a closure, said closure having an end panel and a depending peripheral skirt with means on the latter for securement to a main container, means carried by said closure for limiting axial motion of said closure relative to said cup-shaped container by contacting said abutment surface during the application of the closure to a main container whereby a cutter adapted to be housed withinsaid cup-shaped container is incapable of severing said bottom wall, said axial motion limiting means being a sealing member depending from and integral with said end panel and adapted for insertion into a container neck, said cup-shaped container includes radially outwardly directed flange means for abutting an outer container lip, said flange having axially spaced surfaces, one of said surfaces remote from said bottom wall is said abutment surface, a collar forming an extension of said peripheral skirt, said collar being connected to said peripheral skirt by breakable connections, inwardly directed projections on said collar, an outer container having a neck housing said cupshaped container with said flange on a lip thereof, radially outwardly directed projections on said outer container neck for cooperating with said collar projections to rupture said breakable connections upon rotative removal of said closure, and the axial length of said collar and the minimum axial spacing of said container projections from said peripheral skirt is greater than the axial distance between said flange surfaces.

2. The closure as defined in claim 1 wherein said closure projections are elastically deformable and extend circumferentially obliquely in the direction of closure removal rotation.

3. A closure for bottles, flasks and the like designed for extended storage of separate products comprising a generally cup-shaped container, said cup-shaped container having a generally tubular body closed at one end 'by a bottom wall and provided opposite thereto with a radially outwardly directed peripheral flange adapted to seat upon the lip of a container or the like, a tubular rupturing element housed within said cupshaped container, a cap, said cap including an end panel and an internally threaded peripheral skirt, a tubular extension depending from said end panel in exterior telescopic relationship to said rupturing element, said rupturing tubular element having acutting end adjacent said bottom wall and a force applying end remote therefrom, a space between said end panel and said force applying end, said space being normally maintained by said tubular extension resting upon said flange, and said tubular extension being externally dimensioned to form a seal with the interior of said cupshaped container.

4. The closure as defined in claim 3 wherein said tubular body includes upper and lower generally cylindrical portions with a conical portion therebetween, a radially inwardly directed peripheral seat carried by said upper cylindrical portion, and said rupturing element being externally dimensioned so as to form a seal with said peripheral seal. 

1. A closure for bottles, flasks and the like designed for the extended storage of separate products comprising a generally cupshaped container, said container having an abutment surface axially spaced from a bottom wall, a closure, said closure having an end panel and a depending peripheral skirt with means on the latter for securement to a main container, means carried by said closure for limiting axial motion of said closure relative to said cup-shaped container by contacting said abutment surface during the application of the closure to a main container whereby a cutter adapted to be housed within said cup-shaped container is incapable of severing said bottom wall, said axial motion limiting means being a sealing member depending from and integral with said end panel and adapted for insertion into a container neck, said cup-shaped container includes radially outwardly directed flange means for abutting an outer container lip, said flange having axially spaced surfaces, one of said surfaces remote from said bottom wall is said abutment surface, a collar forming an extension of said peripheral skirt, said collar being connected to said peripheral skirt by breakable connections, inwardly directed projections on said collar, an outer container having a neck housing said cup-shaped container with said flange on a lip thereof, radially outwardly directed projections on said outer container neck for cooperating with said collar projections to rupture said breakable connections upon rotative removal of said closure, and the axial length of said collar and the minimum axial spacing of said container projections from said peripheral skirt is greater than the axial distance between said flange surfaces.
 2. The closure as defined in claim 1 wherein said closure projections are elastically deformable and extend circumferentially obliquely in the direction of closure removal rotation.
 3. A closure for bottles, flasks and the like designed for extended storage of separate products comprising a generally cup-shaped container, said cup-shaped container having a generally tubular body closed at one end by a bottom wall and provided opposite thereto with a radially outwardly directed peripheral flange adapted to seat upon the lip of a container or the like, a tubular rupturing element housed within said cup-shaped container, a cap, said cap including an end panel and an internally threaded peripheral skirt, a tubular extensioN depending from said end panel in exterior telescopic relationship to said rupturing element, said rupturing tubular element having a cutting end adjacent said bottom wall and a force applying end remote therefrom, a space between said end panel and said force applying end, said space being normally maintained by said tubular extension resting upon said flange, and said tubular extension being externally dimensioned to form a seal with the interior of said cup-shaped container.
 4. The closure as defined in claim 3 wherein said tubular body includes upper and lower generally cylindrical portions with a conical portion therebetween, a radially inwardly directed peripheral seat carried by said upper cylindrical portion, and said rupturing element being externally dimensioned so as to form a seal with said peripheral seal. 